Does planning (and spending tons on) a vacation make you need another vacation? De-stress setting up your next getaway while keeping more money in the bank with these brilliant, budget-friendly tips.

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If you're traveling by RV or trailer

Planning your trip

Join Up If you camp more than twice a year, KOA's Value Kard Rewards Program is worth the $27 annual fee (KOA.com). Members get 10% off at campgrounds, plus perks such as discounted roadside assistance and camping gear.

Go Low-Tech When you buy or rent your RV, you'll be tempted to splurge on state-of-the-art models, which feature high-end audio and video systems, gourmet kitchens and upgraded baths. But those luxuries can add up to more than you would have paid for a hotel room per night. Stick with the basics, and pack a tablet or board game for entertainment and family bonding time. (Visit GoRving.com for a list of great boredom busters.)

Rent Supplies À La Carte For a fee, most RV rental companies offer "housekeeping" kits that stock you with all the comforts of home: cookware, bed linens, and other items. But some companies, such as Cruise America, divide the packages, so you can have them fully equip the kitchen, for example, then you bring your own linens to cut down on expenses.

Empty Water Tanks Before You Drive You'll get better gas mileage, and it's cheaper to refill your water tank than to refuel every few miles.

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Play It Safe If you've never towed a trailer, make sure the weight of the fully loaded, hitched trailer is at or under your vehicle and trailer ball's limit—otherwise it's not safe to drive. Also, leave more space on the road than you normally would between you and the car in front of you (at least 4 to 5 seconds) because braking takes longer.

Get Help Staying Awake Drowsy driving is a major no-no. But if you must push on in an emergency, use what truckers use: No Nap ($20; TheNoNap.com). The earpiece senses head movement and sounds an alarm if you're about to nod off.

Fly Midweek Experts say airfare is lower if you travel on a Wednesday, rather than any other day of the week.

Book Seven Weeks Out You know not to wait until the day before your flight, but the savings sweet spot for reserving tickets is normally about six to seven weeks before your departure date. After that, the price goes up. If you miss that deadline, all is not lost: Airline prices usually fall again (but not as low) two weeks before, then rise even higher. They drop slightly once more seven days prior to the flight date. Visit AirfareWatchdog.com, a fare-monitoring website that emails you when your desired flights go down in price, so there's no need to check daily.

And Make The Reservation On A Tuesday Around 3 P.M. ET, to be exact. That's when airlines load discounted fares into the reservation systems.

Get The Seats You Want For Less If you're flying Southwest, which has nonassigned seating, it's tempting to pay the extra $12.50 for the "EarlyBird Check-In" program, which usually allows you to board in the first group of passengers (before families with young children). Here's something worth trying: Send one family member on the plane early to help claim several seats together, rather than paying for everyone to do so.

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Up Your Odds Of Making Your Connection To ensure a smooth transition, ask at the check-in desk for seats toward the front of the plane on your first flight. The farther forward you sit, the quicker you'll deplane.

Avoid Ear Pressure Stay awake during landing to ease ear discomfort. When you sleep, you don't swallow often, and pressure builds up in your ears.

Dying for a Cinnabon or a restroom? Find the closest amenities in your terminal with GateGuru(free; GateGuru.com).

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If you're traveling by rental car

Planning your trip

Don't Wait Many travelers book airfare and hotel rooms in advance, but forget about the rental car until only a few days before they travel. That's a costly mistake. Particularly in areas with heavy tourist business, such as Orlando, the earlier you reserve, the less you'll pay. Most companies don't have a penalty for canceling, so if you find something less expensive, reserve it, then cancel the other booking.

Prepay Some car rental companies let you pay in advance, which can save you up to 35%. But be sure your plans are firm before booking, or you may end up with a fee for changing or canceling a prepaid reservation. If you're happy to rent from any company, try a site like Hotwire.com, which won't reveal the name of the service until after you've made a fully nonrefundable purchase, but going this route can save you up to 40%.

Think Outside The Airport Some car rental companies that are not located at the airport still offer airport pickup if you ask ahead of time, and they can be cheaper than those at the airport. Compare rates and you can save big.

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Share Your Flight Info Be sure to give the rental company's customer service representative your airline, flight number and scheduled arrival time when you book. This can protect your reservation if the flight is delayed. Otherwise you may lose your car.

Stash An Atlas Apps or devices that use global positioning technology don't work in dead zones and rely on battery power, so it's good to have a backup map. Also, if you're renting a car, bring your own GPS device, which will save you the $15 per day it usually costs to rent one.

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If you're traveling by train

Claim Your Discount Amtrak has a generous but little-known discount policy for families. Up to two children ages 2 to 12 are eligible to receive half off the lowest available adult rail fare on most Amtrak trains with each fare-paying adult. (There's no charge for one child under age 2 traveling with an adult, and unaccompanied minors pay full fare.)

Tout Your Membership Amtrak.com has special rates for members of organizations such as AAA, Student Advantage and Veterans Advantage—but you won't see them until after you type your card number in. (And you do need to reserve at least three days in advance.)

Book Two Weeks Ahead Amtrak often has "Saver" fares when you buy 14 days or more before your trip. But beware: Refunds sometimes don't apply to special fare deals.

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Go Backward Prone to motion sickness?Sit in a seat that faces the opposite direction of travel. For many people, it's easier to watch the scenery—your eyes don't dart back and forth like you're at a tennis match—and if there's an emergency stop, you won't go lurching forward.

Amtrak's app saves a virtual ticket to your phone for conductors to scan. No more lost tickets! (Free on most smartphones.)

Take 15% off Amtrak Fares when you purchase tickets through June 12 in honor of National Train Day. Go to Amtrak.com/WomansDay.

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